Hi, it's nice to meet you!

I'm Margaret Jelinski, and I'm glad you're here.

What is a fun fact about myself?

I’m a gluten-free foodie, and I love trying new foods around the city.

What can you expect as my client?

I believe that therapy is a powerful space where we can nurture a safe environment to explore challenges, inspire hope, play, and foster healing. I value the use of your stories, strengths, relationships, and mindfulness to support you in feeling more connected to all the parts of yourself. Through a trauma-informed lens, my hope is to bring compassion, warmth, and play that will inspire joy and healing to your life journey.

I will adapt my approach to meet your goals, utilizing narrative and internal family systems theories, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused strategies, and play therapy. I also take an experiential approach and use emotion-focused and attachment styles when working with couples and families. I also appreciate tools and techniques from Gottman Method when working with relationships.

Who am I outside of therapy?

I’m a Midwest transplant enjoying the gorgeous PNW! I love to adventure in the outdoors with family and friends. I also enjoy reading, movies and tv shows, and improv comedy. I’ve also started experimenting with cake baking and decorating.

Pronouns: She/Her

How did I become a therapist?

I have always valued relationships, and I’ve held an interest in psychology for as long as I can remember. I’ve worked in education and held a teacher license at a German immersion school for a few years before becoming a therapist. I love working with people across the lifespan. I really feel like all of my experiences came together to be a therapist, and it feels like my dream job!

I received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minored in German and Leadership at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. I hold a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology with a family psychology concentration from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. I have also taken additional coursework at Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland, OR, with focus on advanced assessment, neurodiversity in counseling, and spirituality in counseling.

I have worked in mental health for over five years in a variety of contexts including school-based, community mental health, and group private practice.

Let’s laugh together, cry together; relationships are powerful! I work with individuals, families, and relationships experiencing anxiety, ADHD, autism, complex trauma, depression, identity exploration, grief and other life transitions. My special interest area is working with clients who have experienced difficult situations through church, religion, or another spiritual experience to support you in exploring your own spirituality or values, identifying harm and trauma, deconstructing or deconverting, navigating relationships with different beliefs and values, or re-integrating faith and spirituality. I look forward to learning your diverse perspectives and aim to hold all the parts of who you are with acceptance, respect, and care.